Beatles' Magical Mystery Tour piano sketches found in skip

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Builder set to make £10,000 after finding Paul McCartney piano design in a skip
Sam Courtney-Guy
Monday 16 Mar 2020


Designs for Paul McCartney’s 1967 ‘magic piano’ are set to fetch £2,000 (Picture: PA – Rex)

A builder stands to make thousands after auctioning a haul of rare designs he found in a skip, including one for Paul McCartney’s ‘magic piano’.

Andy Clynes, 54, found the papers 20 years ago but only recently thought to get them valued.

The prize item is a set of drawings laying out the psychedelic motifs painted onto Sir Paul’s piano in 1967, which are expected to fetch £2,000.

The papers set out a list of commissions for a 1960s art collective, BEV, and are likely to earn Mr Clynes a total of £10,000 at a series of auctions this year.


Mr Clynes stuffed the papers in a box in his loft and forgot about them for 20 years (Picture: PA)

Mr Clynes, from Oldham, discovered the documents in around 1999 while converting a mill into a wine bar, but still has no idea why they were there.

‘I picked them out of the skip. The case burst open as it was thrown in. It was raining and I just picked up what I could.

‘I imagine there was a lot more there but it was damaged.’

‘It could have been an art studio at some time or another.’

The 54-year-old said he left the papers in a box in his loft for the next 20 years until deciding to do some research.

‘I Googled ‘Paul McCartney’s piano’ and when I looked at the drawing it was very similar.’


The papers included a list of commissions for a 1960s art collective (Picture: PA )

The other items include commissions for The Kinks, who commissioned BEV to work on the album cover for Sunny Afternoon, as well as Lord Snowdon and Guinness heir Tara Browne.

Auctioneer Paul Fairweather said the papers were a ‘rare find’ and a relic of their time.

He added: ‘It’s fantastic that such an important archive was recovered and even better for our vendor that it should prove a lucrative decision to save them from the skip.’

‘The designs of BEV encapsulate the optimism, excitement and free spirit of collaboration that ensures that the late 1960s endure in the popular consciousness even to this day.’

The designs for Sir Paul’s piano will feature in a Beatles vinyl and memorabilia sale at Omega Auctions on March 24.

The rest of the papers will be auctioned later this year.







www.bbc.com
Beatles' Magical Mystery Tour piano sketches found in skip
BBC News
16 March 2020


Sir Paul played the psychedelic piano in The Beatles' 1967 Magical Mystery Tour film

Sketches including designs for Sir Paul McCartney's "magic piano" that were found in a skip could fetch £10,000 at auction.

Builder Andy Clynes, 54, found them in 1999 as he converted a mill into a wine bar near Manchester.

He put the sketches in his loft but recently decided to get them valued. They will be auctioned on 24 March.

Sir Paul played the psychedelic piano in The Beatles' 1967 Magical Mystery Tour film.

The sketches were among other papers found by Mr Clynes including a handwritten list of commissions for 1960s art collective BEV.

Mr Clynes, from Oldham, said: "I picked them out of the skip.

"The case burst open as it was thrown in. It was raining and I just picked up what I could.

"I imagine there was a lot more there but it was damaged."

The designs were painted on to Sir Paul McCartney's piano

The sketches and designs for Sir Paul's piano will go under the hammer at Omega Auctions in Newton-le-Willows, Merseyside.

Auctioneer Paul Fairweather described the papers as a "rare find".

Mr Clynes added: "I've had them for 20-odd years. You put things away and forget about them and then something triggers your mind.

"I haven't planned what I'll do with the money yet but I was surprised about the value."

The Beatles at the launch of the Magical Mystery Tour film